Nominated as a IGF Seamus McNally Finalist, NightSky is an ambient action-puzzle game that offers a gameplay experience unlike any other—cerebral challenges fill uniquely designed picturesque worlds. The player must maneuver a sphere by using realistic physics to advance; each of these worlds is broken into different areas.

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Nominated as a IGF Seamus McNally Finalist, NightSky is an ambient action-puzzle game that offers a gameplay experience unlike any other—cerebral challenges fill uniquely designed picturesque worlds. The player must maneuver a sphere by using realistic physics to advance; each of these worlds is broken into different areas. The original soundtrack by experimental jazz musician, Chris Schlarb will further heighten the surreal experience.

Time of completion: 3 hours and 10 minutesDate of writing the review: 23.December.2014My rating: 6,5/10Tutorial on how to find all the hidden stars can be found here: CLICK============================================I started this game, thinking that it would be similar to Limbo, which was my favorite game of 2010 and.... how wrong was I.....The game is spooky, yes. The music and the gloomy look of it is really appealing, but it was just not exacly what I was expecting.The puzzles for the most part are very easy and wouldn't take too long to complete, this comes from a guy, who always has a hard time completing puzzle / platform games.The mechanics are interesting, but very unrealistic. Most of the time the ball you controll has very unrealistic movements.

In conclusion, I do recommend this game for those of you who want a short and relaxed experience and don't want spending a huge amount of time solving puzzles. I certainly liked it, but was expecting something better, still a good game !

Beat the whole thing in 2.4 hours. I would say it's one of my favorite puzzle platformers. As always with games like this, it's not easy to describe what makes it fun - the game as a whole is just designed in a way that it's pleasant, relaxing. and entertaining through the whole game. At no time in the game did I not enjoy myself, so however short you think it may be, you're in for a really good time throughout the whole game. I'll do my best to try to explain why it's so good.

SOUNDThe experimental jazz soundtrack combined with the nature soundtrack is done very well. If you're used to the typical indie game mistake where you have a blastingly loud short chiptune loop that's played all the time, you're in for a breath of fresh air. It's as relaxing in the same way as going to a secluded beach or forest trail. It invites you into a mindset that helps you appreciate the minimalist art style even more. You won't be getting listening fatigue from this. The sound effects for every interaction sound great, too. I especially like the sound the ball makes when it clinks into things. It's just very polished and pleasant all around on this front.

GAMEPLAYUnlike more chaotic physics platformers like Gish, you never feel like you're being cheated out of success or struggling due to the random nature of the physics. They give you a great amount of control over the ball - the ability to switch to a high-traction or high-speed mode makes it very precise. I never felt like the ball wouldn't do what I want - you do have to keep in mind that there's no air control though, something that you might have trained into yourself from playing other standard platformers. The game also features several levels with a wide variety of vehicles, and levels where you can't even control the ball but control elements in each stage. Those are also fun to interact with and add fun variety. Overall, I found the gameplay to be a perfect level of challenge throughout. Each of the levels is a small, self-contained puzzle. When you die, you restart from the beginning of the level. This makes death hardly frustrating at all - you just get another chance to try what you messed up on instead of having to go through a whole bunch of stuff you already solved and are bored with. The challenge towards the end, where you have to collect stars by replaying levels and searching for them, is also not as frustrating as you might expect. It's usually pretty obvious where stars might be (and it tells you which stages have unfound stars), and the levels are so small that you really don't have to search far.

VISUALSThe visuals are very easy on the eyes and very easy to parse while also being beautiful. Just the simple gradient and other small details enhance the relaxing aesthetc.

In sum, I would describe the game as more of an action and movement oriented puzzle platformer (as opposed to more "sit and think" type platformers). I found the experience of playing it to be vaguely similar to the Trials games (except for the aesthetic). If you like puzzle platformers, definitely get this game.

There can be no darkness without light. Once I fought a great battle with my own shadow, an epic fight, over continents and oceans. He ran, and I pursued him, and still we chase each other across the sky. I love him, and I fear him. Night wins, then day wins. Yesterday I was beaten by a different strength. Dimly, I felt the blows, and was bruised. I cried, and my tears were wet, and amazed me, and I cupped them in small fingers and stared at them, tasted them in the dirty cracks of skin. They taste of the sea. I have asked him to find me, for I am empty inside. Someone has buried me deep in layers of skin and bone and muscle. Someone has come and stolen all my dreams.

A quaint, sublime, simple, and creative puzzle game that is both fun and challenging. Playing this game fills you with a certain rare sense of enjoyment. Expect to play it multiple times (partly because it's so easy to play and enjoy) to revisit this feeling - it's a fuzzy sort of nostalgia.

NightSky is a well-crafted little physics puzzler. You maipulate a small sphere through a series of 2D mazes with obstacles and puzzles.

In a single sentence: "Limbo" meets "The Ball".

The visuals are striking. It looks like perpetual sunset, with silohuettes of Edward Gorey-style monsters lurking in the background, which are actually more interesting than the game itself. Good sound, too.

While I certainly won't say I necessarily agree with the price of this game (especially since I got it from a humble bundle pretty cheap), I will say that this is a very nice, relaxing game that's definitely worth a playthrough.

It's a very simple game, so don't expect any super in-depth challenging gameplay out of this, however there are a few moments that will require you to think a little more critically. Generally, the game remains pretty easy and just as relaxing all the way through. Definitely a good thing to do if you need to clear your mind and if you're stressed out.

The forefront visuals are very basic and unfortunately there isn't much support for high resolutions at all, so fullscreen will have you super zoomed in sadly, but for what it's worth, the backgrounds are very nice looking and are probably the strongest point of the visuals. The sound is also really nice. Not very much sound as far as what you do, but the very, very calming soundtrack that's more or less just ambience really helps add to the relaxing mood of the game.

All and all, I'll say I recommend it. Even though it's another indie puzzle game, this one has always stood out for me as one of the best designed.

I'm not normally a fan of physics-based puzzle games but this puzzle platformer is charming, smart and well-crafted. Most levels require precise platforming skills but it's still a thinking man's game. I've played other games by Nifflas and his distinct style of gameplay, graphics and music once again work in so many levels. Recommended.

P.S. You need 12 stars to unlock all the stages in the last level. You can go back anytime you want but I recommend collecting them as you progress because getting to the last level and realizing you need the stars to fully complete the game can be an unpleasant surprise (as it was for me).

I wanted to recommend NightSky for a little while now. A must-have if you enjoy puzzle games based on physics!

Gameplay :You control a black ball going on an adventure through several shadowed landscapes; such as Industrial, littorals, forests, caves, ruins, etc; You will resolve many puzzles using the physics and your ball's two main powers (Speed-up/Slow-Down). Now that should sound fairly simple, but you'll quickly notice how mean some of the latest levels really are.

Story :Even though the storyline stays a bit in the background, it completes the game with a nice touch of mysteriousness and fascination.

Music :Soft and relaxing, gives that "end of the day" kind of feeling, which fits very well to the name of the game. The use of a trumpet is clever and kind of surprising, yet enjoyable.

Content :The lenght is actually very good! There's a dozen of chapters, each of them containing ~30 puzzles with very interesting mechanics, such as reversed gravity, momentum control, improvised pinball, balancing structures, different vehicles or even giant Rube Goldberg machines. And a very nice work on the variety of their layouts!

When you're done with the game, you have the opportunity to start the "Advanced mode". That name simply hides a great challenge, for every single level has been modified and revisited to be harder and very, VERY challenging!

As for the explorers and other tricky challenge hunters, there's a few stars hidden in some levels, both in the normal and advanced mode. Brace yourself if you want to retrive them all!Beware, skills required,